“Complex and haunting…vivid and unforgettable” (People), this story of one injured but indefatigable young woman is a stunning portrait of a family, a generation, and a country all coming of age.
From a quiet family farm in Montana in the 60s to the grit and haze of San Francisco in the 70s to a gypsy-populated, post-war Saigon, The Given World spins around its unconventional and unforgettable heroine, Riley. When her big brother is declared MIA in Vietnam, young Riley packs up her shattered heart and leaves her family, her first love, and “a few small things” behind. By trial and error she builds a new life, working on cars, delivering newspapers, tending bar. She befriends, rescues, and is rescued by a similarly vagabond cast of characters whose “‘unraveled souls’ sting hardest and linger the longest” (The New York Times Book Review). Foolhardy, funny, and wise, Riley’s challenge as she grows into a woman is simple: survive long enough to go home again, or at least figure out where home is, and who might be among the living there.
Lorrie Moore said, “It’s been a long time since a first book contained this much wisdom and knowledge of the world.” The Given World is “an immensely rewarding and remarkable debut” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
- 304 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Subtopic
Literature GeneralIndex
LiteratureTable of contents
- Cover
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Prologue
- 1. Hawks
- 2. Bluer and Bigger, with No Mountains
- 3. Girl, Three Speeds, Pretty Good Brakes
- 4. Slim
- 5. Not-So-Secret Life
- 6. Kid on a Mission
- 7. Old Boots. Local Boys.
- 8. The Last Thing You Need
- 9. Take You Back Broken
- 10. Nothing Like the Other Dogs
- 11. Two Days, Then the Bus to Cambodia
- 12. Somewhere in the Real World
- 13. Scablands
- 14. Gone So Gone
- 15. All That Water. All Those Bridges.
- 16. The Given World
- Acknowledgments
- Reading Group Guide
- About the Author
- Copyright
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Yes, you can access The Given World by Marian Palaia in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Literature General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.